September 2026
All columns and Brief analyses.
10 results
Foreigners were funnelled into Russia's army through fake job offers
Amnesty International described the recruitment of foreigners lured to Russia with promises of civilian work and compelled to sign military contracts as human trafficking. The study published Thursday draws on interviews with prisoners of war in Ukraine, serving foreigners, relatives, lawyers and journalists. Interviewees described passports and phones being confiscated or threats when they sought to leave.
Google brings Gemini to Windows with an Alt + Space shortcut
Google released a dedicated Gemini app worldwide for Windows 10 and 11, opening over the current window with Alt + Space. Chrome Unboxed independently corroborates the launch, supported systems and shortcut. Google's account adds Gmail and Google Drive access, image and video creation, and multi-step tasks through Gemini Spark, while promising more desktop-native capabilities later.
GPT-Live-1 lets API applications listen and speak at the same time
OpenAI released GPT-Live-1 through its API, giving developers a full-duplex voice model that can listen while it speaks. TestingCatalog independently corroborates the release, simultaneous conversation, interruption handling and twelve voices. OpenAI also adds custom voices and telephony support, prices use at 5 cents a minute, and presents its published performance figures as company measurements rather than independent tests.
Hillgrove antimony mine returns to production after more than a decade
The Hillgrove mine in New South Wales, Australia, restarted production in late August after more than a decade. Larvotto Resources acquired the site in 2023; the company says antimony has since more than doubled in price and now costs 26,300 US dollars per tonne. The operation is expected to supply 5,000 tonnes of antimony to the world market.
IAEA identifies a second uranium enrichment hall at Yongbyon
The IAEA said North Korea’s new building at Yongbyon could house up to 28 centrifuge cascades and that an expanded annex at Kangson showed signs of operation. Inspectors have been barred from the country since 2009. The agency based its assessment on satellite imagery and open sources, including state-media photographs of Kim Jong-un’s June visit.
IAEA sends Iran file to Security Council after inspectors lose access
The IAEA Board of Governors referred Iran to the UN Security Council over missing information about its nuclear material and inspectors' loss of access to Natanz and Fordo. The resolution, backed by 23 countries, asks Rafael Grossi to report to council members, but Chinese and Russian veto power limits the prospect of new sanctions.
iPhone 18 Pro records a sensor signature for later photo comparisons
Apple introduced Reference Image, which records signed data at the iPhone 18 Pro's main camera sensor. Private Cloud Compute turns that data into an unalterable reference visible in Photos, allowing a user to compare it with an edited version. The feature shows the difference between a frame produced by a particular sensor and a later file; it does not establish that the photographed scene itself was authentic.
Israeli strike kills four members of the Ahmad family in Beit Lahiya
An Israeli strike on a home in northern Gaza's Beit Lahiya killed a couple from the Ahmad family and their daughters, aged 8 and 12. Hospital officials reported the deaths to Al Jazeera and AP during a ceasefire in force since October 2025; Israel's military said it targeted a militant but gave no details.
Japan may need faster rate increases if inflation accelerates
Bank of Japan member Kazuyuki Masu said the 1.0 per cent policy rate should continue to rise. He estimated the neutral-rate range at 1.1 per cent to 2.5 per cent and warned that rapid increases could become unavoidable if inflation accelerates. Reuters said the speech strengthened the chance of an increase at the following week's meeting, while noting that Masu did not signal an urgent need for a large 50-basis-point move.
Massachusetts ties large data centres to clean power and local agreements
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey's executive order requires proposed data centres above 25 megawatts to meet their electricity demand with clean power and submit a community benefits agreement before receiving permits. Developers may generate power on site, support new nearby supply or contribute to a ratepayer-protection fund. The order also prohibits non-disclosure agreements between state agencies and data centres.